Truck and cover for the diamonds of base-ball fields.



Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

Simms-sum* 1.

Z LT. P. OMALEY.

TRUCK AND COVER FOB. THE DIAMONDS 0F BASE BALL FIELDS.

APPLICATION FILED M1142, 1909.

1HE Nomels PETERS co., wAsmNmoN. n. c.

vJ. P. ofMALEY. TRUCK ND COVER FOB. THE DIAMONDS 0F BASE BALL FIELDS.

APPLICATION FILED,J'AN.22, 1909.

Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET z.

. qld.

NIE f JAMES P. OMALEY, 0F PITTSBRG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRUCK AND COVER FOR THE DIAMONDS 0F BASE-BALL FIELDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led. January 22, 1909.

Patented Mar. 21, 1911. Serial No. 473,753.

To all rwhom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES l?. OMALEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsbur in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have mvented certain new and useful Improvements in Trucks and Covers for the Diamonds of Base-Ball Fields, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to truck and cover for the diamond of base ball elds, and the object of my invention is to provide a'novel truck and cover carried thereby, which cover can be easily and quickly placed over the diamond of a base ball lield to protect the diamond from rain or weather elements that would tend to damage or impair the condition of the diamond to such an extent as to render the same unsuitable for use.

The device is constructed whereby it can be quickly moved to the center of a diamond and the covers withdrawn and spread over the diamond to fully protect the same.

In connection with the truck novel means is employed for supporting the covers upon rollers beneath a canopy, thus protecting the covers when not in use. The rollers are designed to permit of the covers being quickly withdrawn and easily rewound thereupon, thus saving considerable labor in handling the large covers, which become heavy, stiff and diflicult to handle when subjected to rain, snow and cold weather.

The invention aims to provide a movable cover for a base ball diamond that can be easily and quickly placed in position, should a base ball game be interrupted by rain, the cover protecting the diamond whereby the game can be continued after the rain has ceased.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and then claimed.

Referring to the drawing Figure 1 is an elevation of a truck and cover constructed in accordance with my invention, with the canopy removed. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same with the canopy in position thereon. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan of the cover removed from the truck. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device with the canopy removed. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of the same, illustrating a shiftable gear wheel, and, Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view of one of the supporting rollers.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 designates a front axle and 2 a rear axle, said axles having wheels 8. The axle 1 intermediate the ends thereof is provided with a bearing plate 4 for anti-friction balls 5, and upon the balls 5 rests a fifth wheel 6, retained in position by a king bolt 7. The fifth wheel 6 is provided with lateral extensions 7a, and these extensions are connected to the axle 2 by longitudinal rods 8. The rods 8 intermediate the axles 1 and 2 are connected by axles 9 provided with wheels 10,

these additional axles and wheels being necessary to support the truck intermediate the ends thereof.

Upon the axle 2 is a base plate 11, and upon the base plate 11 and the fifth wheel 6 are mounted parallel vertical standards 12 and 13., In said standards are journaled shafts 14 having cranks 15 and gear wheels 16, the cranks being mounted upon the outer ends of the shafts 14, while the gear wheels 16 are mounted upon the shafts 14 adjacent to the standards 12. In the upper ends of the standards 12 and 13 are journaled shafts 17 retained in position by clamps 18. The shafts 17 are provided near their outer ends with annular grooves 19 and said clamps 18 are provided with lugs 20 adapted to extend into said grooves and prevent the shafts 17 from being longitudinally shifted when the clamps 18 are closed. (See Fig. 5.) Upon the shafts 17 are mounted large gear wheelsy 21 adapted to mesh with the gear wheels 16.

On the extensions 7a of the fifth wheel 6 and the base plate 11 of the axle 2 are ar ranged supporting frames 22, connected by cross braces 23, said braces at their intersection providing additional bearings 24 for the shafts 14. Secured adjacent to the upper ends of the frames 22 are bearings 25 for longitudinal rollers 26, said rollers extending from the supporting frames 22 at one end of the truck to the supporting frames at the opposite end of the truck, and u on said rollers are mounted gear wheels 2 which mesh with the gear wheels 21. The rollers 26 carry covers 27a, of a size adapted when unrolled and unfolded, to cover a base ball diamond of the usual area. A cover 27a is attached to each roller 26. In Figs. 1 and 4,

, ing the covers to th'e rollers 26, as this may be accomplished by cementing or by the use of a thin strip fastened to the roller with the cover bound between the strip and roller. However, when the rollers and covers are mounted on the truck, it will be obvious that the adjacent inner edges of the cover between the ends of the truck when the covers are unrolled, are prevented from meeting throughout the length of the truck by reason of the rods 38 of the canopy frame hereinafter referred to; but, any space between the inner edges of the covers when the latter are unrolled, is covered by the canopy employed over the truck. That portion of the cover that projects beyond the ends of the truck however' will have their adjacent edges come together or meet.

Since the rollers 26 are of a considerable length, I provide supporting rollers 29, these rollers being arranged beneath the rollers 26 intermediate the ends thereof. The rollers 29 are journaled in bearings 30 carried by guide rods 31 movably mounted in pillow blocks 32 secured to the axles 9 beneath the rollers 26. Encircling the guide rods 31 between the bearings 30 and the blocks 32 are coil springs 33 for normally holding the supporting rollers 29 in engagement with the covers wound upon the rollers 26.

In order to protect the covers and the truck from inclement weather while the truck is not being used, I provide a. canopy frame extending from one end of the truck to the opposite end and supported on the extension 7a of the fifth wheel 6, and the plate 11 of the axle 2. The canopy frame is preferably constructed of tubing and comprises two end frames 34 connected by longitudinal rods 35 and 36, these rods intermediate the ends of the truck being connected by rods 37, while the rod 36 is further supported from the axles 9 by vertical rods 3S extending upwardly between the rollers 26. A canopy 39 is placed upon the frame and attached to the top thereof, whereby it will only be necessary to throw the side flaps upwardly, when the covers carried by the rollers 26 are to be withdrawn and spread over the base ball diamond.

To quickly cover the base ball diamond, it is only necessary to run the truck out onto the diamond, and position the same with the rollers 36 parallel with the sides of the diamond. The attendants of the ball ground can then pull outwardly upon the covers 27 until the sides of the covers reach the edges of the diamond, and then it is only necessary to open up the ends of the covers, whereby the covers will completely cover the base ball diamond. By the inner edges of the covers being elevated, rain will be drained to the outer edges of the covers, the latter forming a water-shed for fully protecting the diamond. The space between the rollers 26 will be covered by the canopy 39 and as the side flaps of this canopy overlie the rollers, it will be noted that the working parts of the truck are covered and protected when the covers are spread upon the diamond.

The covers can be rewound upon the rollers 26 by revolving the gear wheels 16, 21 and 27 at either end of the truck, or both sets of gear wheels can be used. If only one set of gear wheels is to be used, for instance at the forward end of the truck, the clamps 18 at the rear end of the truck can be elevated and the shaft 17 shifted to move the gear wheel 21 out of engagement with the gear wheels 16 and 27, thereby reducing friction and relieving the operator from the necessity of rotating the gear wheels at the rear end of the truck. I-Iowever, it is preferable that both sets of gear wheels be used for rewinding the covers 27 upon the rollers 26, whereby the covers will be evenly wound thereon. The supporting rollers 29 are adapted toprevent the. rollers 26 from sagging and at the same time serve as tension rollers for compactly winding the covers upon the rollers 26.

The truck is propelled through the medium of a tongue (not shown) which is connected to eyes 3a carried by the front axle 1 (see Fig. 2) and by which tongue the front wheels'may be turned from a straight course within the limit permitted by the reach rods S.

The truck in its entirety is constructed of light and durable metal, and while in the drawings forming a part of this application there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, I would have it understood that the detail construction thereof can be varied or changed as to shape, proportion and manner of assemblage without departingl from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new, is Y 1. In a truck and cover for base ball diamonds, the combination with a truck and covers adapted to be folded and supported by said truck, of supporting frames, rollers revolubly supported by said frames and adapted to hold said covers, standards arranged adjacent to said supporting frames, gear wheels supported by said standards and by said rollers for imparting a rotary movement to said rollers, spring pressed rollers arranged below the first mentioned rollers for supporting said first mentioned rollers intermediate the ends thereof, a canopy frame arranged over said rollers, and means for movably supporting said canopy frame, supporting frames, standards and spring pressed rollers.

2. A truck and cover of the type described, comprising axles, rods connecting said axles, standards supported by said axles, frames supported by said axles, cover supporting rollers journaled between said frames, covers carried by said rollers; means supported by said standards for revolving said rollers, a canopy frame supported over said rollers, and supporting rollers carried by some of said axles for sup orting the first mentioned rollers intermediate the ends thereof.

3. A truckv comprising axles, revoluble Wheels carried thereby, rods connecting said axles, frames supported by said axles, revoluble cover supporting rollers journaled in said frames, a. canopy frame arranged over said rollers, means supported by the front and rear axles of said truck for imparting a rotary movement to said rollers, and spring pressed rollers carried by the other of said axles for supporting the first mentioned rollers intermediate the ends thereof. i

4. A truck comprising axles, revoluble Wheels carried thereby, rods connecting said axles, frames supported by said axles, revoluble cover supporting rollers journaled in said frames, a canopy frame arranged over said rollers, and means supported by the front and rear axles of said truck for imparting a rotary movement to said rollers.

5. A truck comprising axles, frames supported by said axles, rollers revolubly supported by said frames, means supported by said axles for revolving said rollers, rollers arranged intermediate the ends of the first mentioned rollers for supporting said first mentioned rollers, means supported by said axles for revolving the first mentioned rollers, and a canopy frame supported by said axles and arranged over said rollers.

6. A truck comprising axles, frames supported by said axles, rollers revolubly supported by said frames, means supported by said axles for revolving said rollers, rollers arranged intermediate the ends of the first mentioned rollers for supporting said first mentioned rollers, and means supported by said axles for revolving the rst mentioned rollers.

7. In a device of the type described, a supporting truck, a pair of parallel cover-supporting rollers carried thereby, covers carried by said rollers, means for operating said rollers simultaneously from either end af the truck, and spring pressed supporting rollers carried by the truck underneath the supporting rollers for supporting the latter intermediate the ends thereof;

8. In a device of the type described, a supporting truck, a cover supporting roller carried thereby, a cover secured to said roller, and tensioning means carried by the truck and disposed lto engage the cover on said cover supporting roller.

9. In a device of the type described, a supporting truck, a cover supporting roller carried thereby, a cover connected With said roller to be rolled thereon and unrolled therefrom, means carried by the truck at each end of said roller for operating the same to roll the cover thereon said means being operable independently and in unison.

l0. In a device of the type described, a supporting truck, a cover supporting roller carried thereby, a cover carried by said roller, means intermediate the ends of the roller and the cover thereon for supporting the same, and means for operating said roller from either end thereof to roll the cover thereon.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES I). OMALEY.

Witnesses:

MAX H. SRoLovITZ, A. J. TRIGG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

